PHOENIX- A homicide suspect wanted by the Phoenix Police Department for three counts of first-degree murder was extradited to the United States Friday after he was arrested in Mexico.

Efrain Olague-Valdez, 38, was returned to the U.S. Friday afternoon.

In 2011, Olague-Valdez was in the back of a vehicle when he allegedly shot the driver and two other passengers of that vehicle. The victims were shot point-blank and all died from their wounds, police said.

The Phoenix Police Department issued a warrant for Olague-Valdez's arrest in September 2012. By October of that year, Phoenix police requested the assistance of the Arizona WANTED Violent Offender Task Force which is led by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Based on information indicating Olague-Valdez fled to Mexico, the task force contacted Mexican Law Enforcement who arrested him on December 3, 2016 in Culiacan, Sinaloa.

“The arrest of Olegue-Valdez in the Republic of Mexico is a testament to the tenacity of Phoenix Police Detectives and Deputy U.S. Marshals,” said United States Marshal David Gonzales. “For almost five years both agencies worked closely together to track and finally determine where he was hiding...The cooperation of Mexican law enforcement was critical in ensuring this triple-homicide suspect faces his charges in Maricopa County."